Rio Grande County, Colorado
Located in Colorado, Rio Grande County has a population of 11,321 residents and a median age of 41.7 years, making it the #2,398 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 18.0%. The median home value is $239,500, and the median household income is $64,411, which is 14% below the national median.
Demographics
Rio Grande County has a population of 11,321, making it the #2,398 most populous county in the US. The median age is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median.
Population Trend
Rankings →Year-over-Year Population Growth
Age & Sex Distribution
Race & Ethnicity
Nativity
Geographic Mobility (Past Year)
Economy
The median household income in Rio Grande County is $64,411, ranking #1,679 out of 3,222 counties — 14.3% below the national median. The poverty rate is 18.0% and unemployment stands at 10.1%.
Median Household Income Trend
Rankings →Income Distribution
Industry of Employment
Occupation
Housing
The median home value in Rio Grande County is $239,500 (-15.0% vs national). Renters pay a median of $945/mo and the homeownership rate is 67.1%.
Median Home Value Trend
Rankings →Household Type
Education
In Rio Grande County, 34.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 2.3% above the national average, ranking #489 out of 3,222 counties.
Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend
Rankings →Health & Wellbeing
Life expectancy in Rio Grande County is 72.3 years. 16.7% of adults report poor or fair health and 14.1% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).
Life Expectancy Trend
Substance Use
12.3% of adults in Rio Grande County smoke , 26.4% are obese , and 21.4% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 50.0 per 100,000.
Adult Smoking Trend
Safety
The suicide rate is 32.1 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 22.7 per 100,000.
Suicide Rate Trend
Families & Children
24.5% of children in Rio Grande County live in poverty . The teen birth rate is 20.1 per 1,000 females age 15–19.
Teen Birth Rate Trend
Civic & Transportation
Voter turnout in Rio Grande County is 77.1%. The mean commute time is 21.3 min, which is 22.8% below the national average.
Voter Turnout Trend
Mean Commute Time Trend
Rankings →Elections
In the 2024 presidential election, Rio Grande County voted Republican with a margin of 23.2%. The vote was 37.2% Dem / 60.4% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 4.8 toward Republicans .
Vote Share Over Time
About Rio Grande County, Colorado
Rio Grande County, Colorado has a total population of 11,321, making it the 2,398th most populous county in the United States. The median age in Rio Grande County is 41.7 years, which is 7.2% above the national median of 38.9 years.
The median household income in Rio Grande County is $64,411, which ranks #1,679 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 14.3% below the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 18.0%, higher than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 10.1%.
The median home value in Rio Grande County is $239,500, 15.0% below the national median. Renters in Rio Grande County pay a median gross rent of $945 per month. The homeownership rate is 67.1%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.
In Rio Grande County, 34.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 2.3% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 89.3% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 21.3 min.
Rio Grande County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 54.7% of the population, followed by Hispanic or Latino (40.7%) and Two or More Races (2.8%).
All data for Rio Grande County, Colorado comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.